Announcing Ecologise Camp 2, Dharwad, Nov 14


Date: November 14 -15, 2015
Venue: Suman Sangam– A forest farm (village  Daddi Kamalapur (Dharwad — Panaji (Goa) highway) Dharwad, Karnataka, India)
Host: Dr. Sanjeev Kulkarni
(Note: Registrations are closed for this Camp. If you want to register for the next one, contact the organisers named below)


Ecologise Camp
The Ecologise Camp is a programme through which those living in cities can explore living in an ecologically more sensitive and sustainable manner. Specifically, it is a programme involving stay and work on an organic farm for varying periods, as a volunteer. The programme will be preceded by a weekend orientation workshop , during which the participant may decide which farm they wish to work on, and for how long. The duration will vary according to the needs and land cycles of each farm. There will be a few ‘break periods’ during which participants can go home or travel. It is possible that participants may not be in a position to commit for a longer period. They can still attend the orientation workshop.

The Camp will also introduce the volunteer to practices one can incorporate in one’s life to live a more healthy and a less resource-intensive lifestyle. During the programme, the participants, on an average will be involved for 4 hours of manual work per day. They will have access to books and some relevant films and videos. It is expected, however, that on the whole, they will spend less time on phones/mobiles and Internet than they have been used to in their city life. Also connectivity is not very good on most farms. Be prepared for digital detoxification!

The programme does not offer fellowships nor does it expect participants to pay for their learning or stay. Any specific cash expenditure during the programme will be collectively met by the principle of ‘pay according to your ability to pay’. However, they will be expected to look after their own self-maintenance needs such as cleaning, laundry, medical needs, etc during their stay. The food arrangement will have to be worked out with each host farm, in terms of task sharing, expenses etc.

Mentoring
Mentoring will be available both at the farm level as well as during the orientation workshop. On the farms, individuals who live on the farm will act as mentors. During the orientation one young person and one senior person will guide attendees. Participants should be open, also, to learn from peasants and other people living in rural areas, including children!

Organisers: The Camps are jointly organised by a group of organic farms. The first Ecologise Camp was organised at Sangatya Farm, Nakre, near Udupi. This the second one is at Suman Sangam– A forest farm, later Camps will be at other farms.

The Farms
The following is a short list of farms that are interested in taking volunteers. A few more may join.

  1. Doddaubbanur, near Thally, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu – 60 km. from central Bangalore. Contact person: Vijay Kundaji
  2. Sirsi, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka – 16 km. from Sirsi town. Contact person: George Varghese
  3. Nakre, Udupi District, Karnataka – 10 km. from Karkala town. Contact person: Shreekumar
  4. Suman Sangam– A forest farm, Dharwad, Karnataka – 10 Km. From Dharwad City.. Contact person: Dr. Sanjeev Kulakarni

Contact
Dr. Sanjeev Kulkarni
Nagemallige, 20/1, Mahishi Road, Malmaddi,
Dharwad -580007, Karnataka, India
Tel: 91 – 836 – 2743100

sankulajeev@gmail.com  +91 944 814 3100
t.vijayendra@gmail.com, +91 94907 05634

Dr. Sanjeev on the farm
Suman Sangam is a song Mother Earth started humming for us in January 1996, when we purchased 17 acres of barren land 10 km from Dharwad in Karnataka India. We named it “Suman Sangam”, meaning Confluence of Flowers and also Confluence of Good Minds. That is exactly what we want our forest-farm to become over time. By forest-farm, we mean what was once a big grazing land has now become a green patch of forest with an ever-increasing diversity of flora and naturally fauna. We don’t have a blueprint for Suman Sangam -in fact, we never had one. It has been blossoming on its own in many different ways, frequently providing us pleasant surprises.

But, from the very beginning, we had certain well thought out broad principles about our work and involvement in Suman Sangam. First and foremost, we decided to be as eco-friendly as possible in all our efforts and operations on the land, and thereby slowly and steadily also make our own lifestyles as eco-friendly as possible. All along we have tried to be as natural and holistic as possible in all our efforts.

Mother Earth continues to add a new line every season to our song of Suman Sangam. Come once to listen to this heavenly nay earthly melody!

[www.sumansangam.org]

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